River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-07-28
"The Ancient Norsemen.'
BY o. ). HoHIE.


! of long winters aud short summers
near the regions of perpetual snow ant
4 ice. lies a small and rugged countrl
that has received the name, The LAM
of the midnight sun, land that, il
| spite of its inferiOrity to many Othel
/ lands in size, in riches, and IN power
| has won itself an everlasting fame II
the history of nations. Rugged anC
rocky as it is, it seems to have beer
thrown by the very hand of nature in
to the North Sea, that breaks and foam!
around its shores and seems to threateI
| it with humiliation. But nature seems
also TO have placed around it, as forti
| fications against these attacks, those
mighty cliffs and headlands, against
which the ocean for thousands of year:
has fruitlessly dashed itself, and. viii
continue to do so for thousands of years
/ to come. To stranger who for the
| first time approaches its shores, 1t may
seem dark and forbidding; nor must
| he expect to find there land OF cloud
less skies, smiling fruitful plains, and
waving fields. IL is a land of snow
covered mountains and narrow valleys
where winter comes early and leaves
late, where the dark pine forests -four
ish, and where the cold winds send
their icy breath over the land. But
although Norway lacks the mild and
seusuOus lovliness of other lands, it mas
a beauty OF its own that well may give
it claim TO be called a wonderful
country. It's mountains, with theiI
majestic appearance. their white crests
which can be seen for scores of miles
through the clear mountain air, their
glaciers, their crystal lakes, their cat
aractS and cascades, are equal in beauty
to any mountains on the globe.
Its fjords, like portals in the wall
that nature has raised, extending deep
into the land, and eneircled by cloud.
capped mountains, are features pos
sessed by no other lands on earth.
The ocean Toars along its rock-bOund
coast, and, during the long dark win
ter, the storms howl and rage and hurl
the waves in white showers of spray
against the sky, while the swarms OF
binds drift like snow over the
water. and circle around the cliffs. In
the wintry nights the northern lights
flash and CLEAN over the northern
heavens, and the stars glitter with a
frosty splendor. But IL summer this
is suddenly changed as by miracle.
The sun shines warmly even within the
polar circle, innumerable wild flowers
sprOut forth the swelling rivers dance,
singing to the sea, and the birches
mingle their light green foliage with
the darker needles of the pines. In the
northern parts it is light through the
nights. even during the few hours
when the sun is beneath the horizon.
The ocean spreads Ikea shining mirror
under the cloudless sky. the white
sailed fishing smacks lie motiOnless on
the bosom of the ocean, and the sea-
guils rock TRANQUILITY on the shining
waters. Such is the land where once
the cradle of liberty stood, and whence
issued the heroes who were the fore
fathers of the mightiest people on
earth.
That the inhabitants of a country
like this should become a strong, liber-
ty-loving and warlike nation. was
nothing but natural; and we learn ii
the annals of history that no people
have played a greater part in their
times. OF have become more illuStriOus
than the ancient NOrsemen. Living
as they did among tue grand and ma
jestic scenery of their native land. they
naturally became people famed for
their strength and endurance. In their
homes in these narrow mountain val
leys and ford coasts, life became one
continual fight for existence. Before
ana behind them the great snow hooded
mountains rose threateningly, sending
down upon them avalanehes, floods and
whirlwinds. But they chung To the
soil. explored land and sea, and never
yielded TO even the greatest haTdshipS.
The hardships and difficulties which
they endured only made them strong
and hardy. They raised nation
whose warriors always conquered when
they fought against other nations, and
whose swords were the magic wandS
that gained them free road wherever
they came. They raised a nation
whose courage and endurance was
equal to all Emergencies; a nation
that could look death in the face with.
out fiinching, and die with a jest on
their lips; a nation that could endure
all priyations, that neither feared the
storms of the ocean or the swords OF
the enemy; that could fight VIGOROUSLY
| against an enemy twelve times theil
| number. Living on the shores of the
| ocean, the surging sea became theil
| field of action, and as daring adven
turers they penetrated every region OF
| the civilized world.
In these cruises to foreign lands, tn
war like spirit of the nation found al
/ oil aald II r.
ships the sea kings swept across th'
| seas. and were terror to all they met
seeking their pleasure in battles anC
| fighting, they invaded all parts of th'
| known earth. They conquered thai
island in the sea which has now be
come one of the greatest powers OF
earth. They visited France, capture,
/ Normandy. sailed up into the yer.
heart of the country, and filled ever
the heart of the great Charlemagn
with dismay. They passed between
the pillars of Hercules, advanced to thu
mighty city of Rome, conquered tn
imperial city, and broke her power
As they directed their march eastward
the classic fields of Greece soon lay a
their mercy and the ruins which the.
carved on the ancient statues in com
memOration of their victories can b
seen TO this day. They were partici
pants in the Crusades and we see then
visiting COnstantinOple and poundin
the Russian Empire.
But Europe did not set bounds I
their travels. Iceland and Greenlan'
soon became known TO them, and o.
their shores they planted colonies tina
have retained their language and chal
acteristics for centuries after the
were extinct in the mother country
But the discovery of these islands lyln
far out in the ocean were only the link
that were to lead to the most impol
tant of all discoveries-the discover
of America. In small open ships, tn
Norsemen dared TO sail across an ur
known ocean. and were the first pal
faces that put foot on American sol
The Spaniards may speak of thei
Columbus, the British of their Cabot
but we know from the history tina
Left Erickson saw this country NOR
than four centuries before them.
The influence which natural fes
lures have on the thoughts of ma
can hardly be ascertained; and froI
the simplicity and grandeur of Nors